Abaddon

Chapter 4 : Escapist

“Run!” I shouted.

Our feet pounded hard against the stone streets, the cold night air cutting sharp into my lungs. Elise clung tightly to my hand, her breath ragged and shallow. Behind us, shouts filled the air. Steel clashed. Boots slammed against the ground. They were gaining on us.

I pulled her along, weaving fast through narrow alleys, knocking over crates and broken carts as we passed. My chest burned, but I didn’t dare slow. Not now. Not when she was finally free.

“They’re catching up!” Elise cried, glancing back over her shoulder.

I tightened my grip and dragged her forward. “Keep moving!”

We tore around a corner—then froze.

A wall of armored men stood waiting. Their blades gleamed in the moonlight, their heavy armor carrying the crest of the family that had stolen her away. Their eyes locked onto us like wolves spotting prey.

We were trapped.

I pushed Elise behind me and raised my fists. My chest rose and fell fast, but my voice was steady. “Stay down,” I told her.

The men smirked, their boots crunching on the stone as they stepped closer. One raised his sword, the edge catching the moonlight. “Hand the girl over, boy. Maybe we’ll let you live.”

A bitter laugh left my throat. Heat built in my chest, hot and wild. “Try me.”

I lunged.

My fist slammed into the first man’s chest. The impact cracked his armor with a sharp crunch, and he flew back into the wall with a scream.

The others roared, charging forward with blades flashing.

Steel hissed through the air. I ducked low, sweeping one off his feet with a sharp kick. Another soldier swung down at me—I caught his blade in my bare hand. Sparks burst as steel ground against my skin. With a snarl, I ripped the sword away and drove my knee into his gut. He fell, choking for air.

I spun, slamming my elbow into another man’s helmet. The steel buckled. He collapsed.

They came at me in groups, shouting, swinging, stabbing. But my body moved faster, stronger, sharper than ever before. Every strike I threw broke through armor. Every blow rattled the stone street.

One man stabbed at my side. I twisted, caught his arm, and snapped it with a sharp crack. He dropped screaming to the ground. Another tried to come from behind—I slammed my heel back, crushing his knee, then finished him with a punch to the jaw.

One by one, they dropped until the last man hit the ground.

The alley fell silent.

I stood there, chest heaving, blood dripping from my knuckles. My breaths came sharp, each one heavy in the cold air.

Slowly, I turned back. Elise stared at me, her hands trembling, her wide eyes glimmering with fear and something else.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, stepping toward her.

She shook her head quickly. “No… but Arc… what have you become?”

Her voice cracked on the words.

I wiped the blood from my hands and forced my breath to slow. My answer was simple, the only truth I knew.

“Stronger,” I said. “Strong enough to protect you.”

But then—

“Check the alley!”

The call rang out. Voices boomed closer, bouncing off the walls. The sound of boots and clanking armor filled the streets again.

I whipped my head from side to side, searching for an escape. But both ends of the alley were already dark with marching soldiers. Torches flickered, their glow spilling across the cobblestone. Their shadows stretched long and heavy, sealing us in.

We were trapped again.

Elise’s hand found mine. Her fingers shook, but she held tight.

“Thanks,” she whispered suddenly.

I blinked, surprised. “What?”

“Thanks for saving me,” she said, her eyes glistening with tears. “I only wish it could have lasted longer.”

Before I could answer, she leaned forward. Her lips brushed against mine—soft, trembling, desperate. Her breath mixed with mine. For a heartbeat, time froze. Then her tongue touched mine, quick and fleeting, before she pulled back.

A small, sad smile crossed her face. She didn’t need to speak. I could see it clearly in her eyes—she had given up. She thought this was the end.

And maybe she was right. The sound of soldiers grew louder with every second, their boots striking closer and closer.

But I couldn’t give up. Not now. Not when I had her back.

I let go of her hand and stepped forward, my fists rising into a tight stance. My teeth clenched, my muscles burned.

I would not let them take her again. Even if it meant fighting a hundred men.

“Arc?” Elise whispered, her voice fragile.

I didn’t look back at her. My eyes stayed fixed on the growing shadows.

“We will get out of this,” I said, my voice low, steady, unshaken. “I promise.”

The marching grew louder. Torches turned the corner, their flames dancing. The line of armored men appeared, their numbers endless.

My heart pounded, my blood roared. I bent my knees, ready to strike the moment they rushed us.

And then—

“You fool,” a voice cut through the air. Cold. Familiar. Sharp. “What did I tell you about rushing in?”

I froze.

My head snapped toward the sound. From the far side of the alley, shadows twisted. Out of the darkness, a shape stepped forward.

Uriel.

Her silver hair caught the firelight. Her eyes were sharp and annoyed. Her voice was filled with hints of rage and disappointment.

“Jump in here,” she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument. “The both of you.”

The shadows behind her ripped open. A swirling black portal stretched wide, its edges burning with faint light. The fabric of reality itself seemed torn apart. The air hummed around it, pulling at us, calling us.

I turned to Elise. She looked back at me, her eyes filled with fear, hope, and trust.

We didn’t need words.

I grabbed her hand tight, nodded once, and pulled her with me. Together, we ran.

The portal’s pull grew stronger. The soldiers’ shouts rose behind us, their boots pounding faster as they rushed in.

But they were too late.

We leapt into the black.

The world swallowed us whole.

Anywhere was safer than here.